School board member Jennifer Custer announced Thursday that she’s dropping out of the board president race, leaving just four contenders vying for the top seat.
In a social media post, Custer said she is leaving the race “because it became abundantly clear that various special interests are prepared to spend millions of dollars.” She said she has not yet decided who she will endorse.
More Top Picks Best Womens Sunglasses
“Going up against that kind of spending in our political system creates an uphill battle that I ultimately decided I did not want to put my family, endorsers, volunteers, and supporters through,” Custer wrote.
The four candidates remaining in the race for the citywide role on the Chicago Board of Education are current board member Jessica Biggs, former Chicago Teachers Union political director Hilario Domínguez, trial attorney Victor Henderson and former board appointee Sendhil Revuluri.
Custer, a former suburban teacher and assistant principal, was elected in 2024 to represent District 1B on the Northwest Side. She announced her candidacy in March, and was endorsed by IUOE Local 150, representing operating engineers, and UNITE Here Local 1, representing lunchroom workers in Chicago Public Schools.
But she was significantly behind her opponents in fundraising. She reported $24,000 in cash on hand at the end of June, compared with $598,000 from Henderson, $216,000 from Revuluri and $121,000 from Biggs. Domínguez did not have any contributions at the time, but has since reported a large haul of in-kind donations from CTU.
The school board races are expected to be among the most closely watched contests in November and could draw millions of dollars in spending as unions, pro-school-choice groups and other interests go head-to-head.
Custer was elected in 2024 with support from politically powerful CTU, but has since become a vocal opponent of the union. But the endorsement of SEIU Local 73, CTU’s onetime ally turned rival, went to Biggs. Union endorsements carry weight because unions give money to campaigns and provide boots-on-the-ground support to get out the vote — especially in a down-ballot race.
It’s unclear who Custer will endorse. Domínguez has emerged as the only candidate openly aligned with CTU, while Biggs, Henderson and Revuluri have taken positions that diverge from the union on several CPS issues. Many of their stances have overlap.
Custer wrote in her post that “when I make that decision, I will let you know.”
“I know the other candidates in this race well, and I will ask the same question I have asked throughout my time on the board: Who shares my North Star of doing what is best for our children?” she wrote.
The at-large role wields outsized influence on the 21-member school board because the president decides what goes up to vote, working closely with district leadership to shape CPS policy. The current board president, Sean Harden, was appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and is not running for reelection.
The board was previously made up of seven mayoral appointees. It is currently in a two-year transition, with 10 elected members, including Custer and Biggs, and 11 appointed by the mayor.
More Top Picks Home Printer
The new, fully elected school board will govern CPS as it faces serious financial uncertainty and dwindling enrollment. Last month, CTU-aligned board members passed a revised budget banking on $150 million in additional state funding to reverse hundreds of layoffs.
If the money doesn’t materialize, CPS may have to resort to midyear cuts. That could mean more layoffs or other cost-cutting measures, such as furloughs or a spending freeze.